Switch and radio tube socket assembly



April 16, 1940. s. DEL CAMP 2,197,426

swI'rcH AND RADIO TUBE socxm'r ASSEMBLY 7 Filed Nov 5, 1936 VIII/(Ii!!! Inven/Zo 2 sozpioneMfloZ 621311137,

Patented Apr. 16, 1940 SWITCH AND RADIO TUBE SOCKET ASSEMBLY Scipione M. Del Camp,

Cinch Manufacturing Maywood, Ill., aaaignor to Corporation, Chicago, 111..

a corporation of Illinois Application November 5, 1936, Serial No. 109,367

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in socket members of an electrical plug and socket connection and is directed particularly to use of a resistor switch in combination with a radio tube 3 socket member.

An object of my inventio is to provide a socket member having a switch associated with the same which is open when the plug member is in electrical connection with the socket member and 10 which is closed when the plug member is out of electrical connection with the socket member. When my improved switch member is closed it is adapted to place a resistor or resistor combination across certain of the contacts of the socket 18 with the result that a balance is maintained in the circuit and various impressed voltages remain at normal value whether or not the plug member is in electrical connection with" the socket member.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electrical plug and socket installation showing a plug member, which'may be a so-called all-metal radio tube,

a in electrical connection with my improved socket member;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the socket member shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of 39 Fig. 2 with the plug member, shown in dotted lines, out of electrical connection with the socket member;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3 but with the plug member in electrical connection with the a socket member;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of my improved resistor switch per se; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of my improved switch member secured to a part of the socket member.

, Referring to the drawing, 1 have illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 an electrical connection comprisingaplug member I, which may be an all-metal radio tube or the like, having a plurality of contact prongs 2 extending for a predetermined distance below one end of the plug member I and adapted for contact with cooperating terminals of the socket member of my installation in the usual manner. In my preferred form the contact prongs 2 are arranged in substantially circular relation for 1 contact with circularly arranged terminals of the socket member. A guide means 3 of insulating material extends from the same end of the plug l as the prongs 2 and is 55 disposed within the circle of the prongs. The

guide means 8- extends. from the plug l in the same direction as the prongs 2 to a point below the outermost ends of the prongs, as shown in Fig. 3. The guide means of my preferred form has a non-circular cross-section and is adapted 5 to enter similarly-shaped non-circular: apertures of the socket member only when it is in one position relative to the apertures. As a result of the fact that the guide means 3 extends beyond the free ends of the prongs 2, the prongs cannot en- 10 gage with the cooperating prong-receiving terminals of the socket member unlessthe guide means extends through the apertures of the socket. As the guide means can extend through the socket apertures only when it is in one position, the prongs 2, fixed in predetermined position relative to the guide means, cannot be moved into contacting engagement with improper socket terminals.

The particular socket which I have chosen in my preferred installation has a relatively thin bottom plate 4 of insulating material having yieldable socket terminals 5 arranged insubstantially circular position around an irregularlyshaped aperture 6 (Fig. 2). While yieldable contact terminals of any suitable construction may be associated with the bottom plate 4, my preferred contact members, as illustrated, are provided with tubular prong-receiving portions 1 and integral soldering lugs .8 extending beneath the plate 4 for the usual purpose. The socket member is also provided with a top plate 9 of insulating material having apertures 10 (Fig. 3) arranged in alignment with the tubular prongreceiving terminals] to permit passage of the prongs 2 of the plug member through the plate I 9 into engagement with the socket terminals. An irregularly-shaped aperture ll (Fig. 3) is formed in the plate 9 in exact alignment with the aperture i of the plate 4 and cooperating with the aperture 6 to provide a keyway for receiving the guide means 3. A resistor switch i2 is secured to the open face of the plate 4 and provided with means for receiving wires (not shown) in electrical connection with suitable parts of the installation. The resistor switch is constructed so as to remain clomd when the plug member I is out of electrical connection with the socket member, but to be opened during connection of the plug member with the socket member',-as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Referring in more detail to my resistor switch, as most clearly illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the switch is provided with two metal arms 13 and it normally in electrical contact with each other.

The switch is attached to the socket member by any suitable means such as an eyelet II which extends through apertures in the arms I! and I4 and the plate 4 and is turned over on the other side of the plate 4 from the switch member. An insulating washer l5 is preferably disposed between the arms so as to prevent electrical contact between the arms when the switch is open. It will be noticed that the eyelet l5 serves not only to attach the switch to the socket, but also to, maintain the arms I 3 and I4 and the insulating washer IS in permanent assembly with each other. The arm IS in my preferred form has a wire-receiving means l8 at.

one of its free ends and an upstanding engaging portion I! at the other of its free ends adapted to be engaged normally by a portion of the arm l4 so as to provide electrical contact between a the parts of the switch when the switch is closed (Figs. 3 and 6). As the arm M, in my preferred form, is of spring metal, a spring action is provided normally holding the arm I 4 in spring contact with the portion ll of the arm l3. The arm I4 is provided with a wire-receiving means l8 at one of its free ends and an actuating portion I!) at the other end. The actuating portion l9 normally extends beyond the contact portion I! of the arm l3 into alignment with the keyway provided by the apertures 6 and H of the socket member so as to be engaged by the guide means 3 of the plug member during passage of the same through the keyway (Figs. 3 and 6).

The switch, as shown in Fig. 3, remains closed as long as the plug l is out of electrical connection with the socket member. When the plug member is moved into connection with the socket the switch remains closed until the prongs 2 have become well inserted in the contact terminals 5 and the guide means 3 has traveled a predetermined distance through the keyway. As movement of the guide means through the keyway is continued for the purpose of bringing the prongs 2 into absolute connection with the socket terminals, the guide means engages the portion IQ of the arm l4 causing the arm I 4 to move out of engagement with the attaching portion ll of the arm l3 whereby the switch is opened as shown in Fig. 4. Upon withdrawing the guide means for removing the plug member from the socket member the arm I 4 springs back into normal contact with the portion I I thereby closing the switch so that the same may cause a suitable resistor combination to be placed in a circuit across certain of the socket terminals in a manner which will be understood by those skilled in the art.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of my invention is best set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A socket member for an electrical plug and socket connection comprising, in combination, a pair of thin superposed plates of insulating material, each having a central aperture for receiving a guide means carried by the plug member 01' said connection, a plurality of contactreceiving members assembled with said plates in a series around said apertures for making electrical connections with contacts of a cooperating part, a switch secured to one of said plates, said switch comprising two metal arms, insulating material disposed betwen said arms, each of said arms having a wire-receiving means, said arms having portions in spring contact one with another when said plug member is out of electrical connection with said socket member, and one of said arms having a portion intersecting the guide-receiving apertures of said plates whereby said portionis engaged by said guide means during passage of the same through said apertures thereby moving said arms out of electrical contact.

2. A socket member for an electrical plug and socket connection comprising, in combination, a pair of thin superposed plates of insulating material, each having a central aperture for receiving a guide means carried by the plug member of said connection, a plurality of contactreceiving members assembled with said plates in a series around said apertures for making electrical connections with contacts of a cooperating part, a switch secured to one of said plates, said switch comprising two metal arms in superposed relation, insulating material separating said arms at points on the lengths thereof, attaching means extending through said arms, the insulating material and at least one plate of said socket member for securing said switch to said socket, each of said. arms having a wire-receiving means at one end, said arms having portions in spring contact one with another when said plug member is out of electrical connection with said socket member, and one of said arms having a portion intersecting the guide-receiving apertures of said plates whereby said portion is engaged by said guide means during passage of the same through said apertures thereby moving said arms out of electrical contact.

SCIPIONE M. DEL CAMP. 

